Recorded presentation

Haomiao Jia, PhD, Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1550 College Street, Macon, GA 31207, 478-301-4179, haomia@yahoo.com and Erica Ilene Lubetkin, MD, MPH, Department of Community Health and Social Medicine, CUNY Medical School/Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, 138th Street and Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended screening all adult patients for obesity due in part to the strong association between obesity and numerous chronic diseases. However, how obesity affects health-related quality-of-life (HRQL), particularly for persons without any chronic diseases, is less clear.

METHOD: The relationship between obesity and HRQL was examined using data from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a representative survey of the US general population. Respondents > 18 years were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight, moderate obesity, and severe obesity based on BMI. HRQL was measured by the 12-item Short Form physical and mental summary scores (PCS-12 and MCS-12, respectively) and EuroQol EQ-5D index and visual analogue scale (VAS). The impact of obesity on HRQL was examined through multivariate models, adjusting for sociodemographics and disease status.

RESULTS: After adjustment, HRQL decreased with increasing level of obesity. Compared to normal weight respondents, persons with severe obesity had significantly lower scores with scores on the PCS-12, MCS-12, EQ-5D index, and VAS being 3.9, 1.3, 0.075, and 5.0 points lower, respectively. Such decrements of HRQL for severe obesity were similar to the decrements seen for diabetes or hypertension. Persons with moderate obesity or who were overweight also had significantly lower HRQL scores, particularly on the PCS-12 and EQ-5D index.

CONCLUSION: Persons with obesity had significantly lower HRQL than those who were normal weight and such lower scores were seen even for persons without chronic diseases known to be linked to obesity.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the strengths of using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for subjects with a given condition (overweight/obesity).
• Analyze the relationship between level of body mass index (BMI) and scores of HRQOL.
• Identify the detrimental impact of obesity on scores of HRQOL and the relevance for clinicians as well as for research and policymakers (i.e. outcomes research and economic analyses).

Keywords: Quality of Life, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation